Dispenser

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for rolls of paper having a door covering one roll and a control arm responsive to depletion of the paper on another roll to release said door for movement into a position exposing said one roll.

United States Patent Bump 1 Jan. 25, 1972 [54] DISPENSER 2,487,76311/1949 Palterson et a1. ..242/55.53 3,428,267 2/1969 Brlles "0242/55532] n n Edward L- u p, O k a k, Ill. 2,449,598 9/1948 Foltis ..242/55.53[73] Assigneez Vaughan Mfg. Co., Chicago, 111. Primary Examiner james CMitchell [22] Filed: June 15, 1970 Attorney-Parker, Carter & Markey Adispenser for rolls of paper having a door covering one roll [2] :LS.(g1 ..312/39, 242/5553 and a control arm responsive to depletion of thepaper on nt. ..B65h 19/00 another [on to release said door for movementmm a Position [58] Field of Search ..312/39; 242/553, 55.53 exposingsaid one to" [5 6] References Cited 15 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures UNITEDSTATES PATENTS I 3,211,504 10/1965 Bump ..312/39 DISPENSER OBJECT OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to dispensers and particularly to adispenser for at least two rolls of paper.

One purpose of the invention is to provide a dispenser having a doorautomatically movable from a position enclosing one of the rolls andexposing the other of the rolls to a position exposing said one roll andclosing the compartment previously occupied by the other of the rolls.

Another purpose is to provide a dispenser usable with a wide variety ofpaper roll configurations and constructions.

Another purpose is to provide a dispenser for paper rolls having coresof varying designs.

Another purpose is to provide a dispenser for a plurality of rollshaving a door automatically movable in response to depletion of paperfrom one of the rolls.

Another purpose is to provide a dispenser and latching mechanismautomatically responsive to raising of a door.

Another purpose is to provide a paper roll dispenser having an automaticdoor and latching mechanism automatically cocked in response to raisingof the door.

Another purpose is to provide a dispenser having an automatic doorcentrally supported in latched position.

Another purpose is to provide a dispenser of maximum economy inmanufacture.

Other purposes may appear from time to time during the course of thespecification and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is illustrated more orless diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation FIG. 2 is a view taken on the line 22 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail front view, on an enlarged scale, and illustratingthe latch mechanism of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a detail top view of an enlarged scale illustrating the latchmechanism of the invention.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specificationand drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings,and particularly to FIG. 1, the numeral I generally designates a shellhaving a forward wall 2, sidewalls 3, 4, a bottom wall portion 5 and atop wall portion 6. As may be best seen in FIG. 2, the portions 5 and 6may constitute continuations of the forward wall 2, the portion 6 beingforwardly, downwardly inclined and the forward wall 2 being generallycurved in cross section. A back plate 7 is provided for attachment ofthe dispenser to a wall or similar support. The shell 1 is pivotallysecured, as indicated at 8, to the back plate 7 and a suitable lockingdevice 9 may be provided for retaining the shell I in the position shownon the back plate 7. A pair of brackets, one of which is shown at 7a,extends inwardly from the opposite lower corners of back plate 7 andcarry arcuate slots 7b through which pins or rivets 811, secured tosidewalls 3 and 4, respectively, extend. Thus, as the shell 1 is rotatedabout pivot 8 the pin 8a rides in slot 7b and slot 7b terminates at itslowermost point at a position such as to hold the bottom wall 5 fromcontact with the structure (not shown) to which back plate 7 isattached, thus eliminating need for bumpers or the like externally ofbottom wall 5.

An intermediate cross or divider wall 10 is secured to back plate 7 andextends forwardly therefrom to divide the shell 1 into an uppercompartment 11 and a lower compartment 12. Forward wall 2 has an openingor window 13 exposing the compartment 11 and an opening or window 14exposing the compartment 12. A single strip of spring steel 15 has itscentral portion secured to the back plate 7 within compartment 11 andits opposite, spring ends extending forwardly into compartment 11, eachspring end supporting a circular boss 15a for extension into and supportof the core of a paper roll P.

The distal ends of the strip 15 are reverse bent for ease in manualseparation of bosses 15a. A similar bracket 15b is yieldingly carried onback plate 7 for retaining one end of a paper roll in compartment 12,the bracket 15b constituting substantially one-half the bracket 15.

A bracket 16 is rigidly carried on back plate 7 and extends forwardlytherefrom for carrying the opposite end of the roll in compartment 12.Bracket 16 may, for example, have flange 17 spot welded to the backplate 7 and an additional flange 18 spot welded for example to a sideskirt portion 10a of the divider wall 10.

A pair of parallel tracks extend along the opposite sides of wall 2 inalignment with the windows or openings 13, 14, one of said tracks beingshown at 20 in FIG. 2. Slidable in the tracks 20 is a door panel 21. Itwill be observed that the tracks 20 and door 21 have the curvature offront wall 2. Door 21 has a peripheral flange 22, the bottom flangeportion 22a having notches or recesses 22b,22c on opposite sides of acentral segment 22d, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The segment 22dsupports an abutment having upwardly converging sides, the abutmentbeing indicated at 23. It will be realized that the converging sides ofabutment 23 may be conveniently formed of the flange segments removedand bent upwardly in producing the openings 22b,22c. The sides ofabutment 23 converge in a rounded curve and meet the segment 22d insimilarly rounded edges, the purpose of which will appear hereinbelow.

The control member of the invention is illustrated best in FIGS. 3, 4and 5. The bracket 16 has vertical flanges 30,30a in parallelrelationship for pivoting thereon of control member 32 adjacent itslower edge as indicated at 31. A leafspring 33 engages the member 32 tourge its inwardly offset finger portion 34 through an opening 16a inbracket 16 and toward the paper R, shown in broken lines in FIG. 5 on aroll supported on brackets 16 and 15b. It will be observed that theinner edge of portion 34 is spaced slightly from the inwardly extendingboss 16b of bracket 16 about which the conventional core C of a paperroll is rotatably mounted, the spacing, as indicated at 340 in FIG. 5,being sufficient to preclude engagement of the finger portion 34 with acore formed of material of greatest conventional thickness.

Member 32 is generally L-shaped in planar configuration, the majorportion thereof being pivoted at its lower edge and having offset fingerportion 34 vertically intermediate its rear edge segment. A reducedupper segment 32a extends forwardly from the major portion of member 32and forwardly of bracket plate 16. The portion 32a continues in adirection across the shell 1 when the same is in closed position, thecontinuing arm portion of member 32 beingindicated at 32b. As best seenin FIG. 4, the portion 32b is generally U-shaped in cross-sectionalconfiguration. Pivoted at one of its ends to the base and intermediatethe ends of portion 32b is a latch finger 35. The opposite end of latchfinger 35 extends beyond arm portion 32b of member 32 and carries thecurved latch portion 36 which extends forwardly at a 90 angle fromfinger 35 and beyond the arm portion 32b. A lower stop abutment 37,which may conveniently be formed of rubberlike material, limits downwardmovement of finger 35. As reflected in dotted lines in FIG. 4, finger 35is movable into two positions other than the latched positionillustrated in full lines. The curved latching abutment 36 extends intothe plane occupied by tracks 20 at a point intermediate the windows13,14 and in substantial alignment with the vertical centerline of thedoor 21.

Member 32 carries a rearwardly directed ab utment ear 32c engageablewith a forwardly directed flange portion of back plate 7 to limitoutward movement of member 32 in response to placement of roll R orotherwise and thus to protect spring 33 against unintendedoverstressing.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

with lock means 9 disengaged and the shell pivoted about the pivot 8away from the back plate 7, a roll of paper is mounted on bracket 15 incompartment 11 and a second roll of paper is mounted on brackets 15b,l6in compartment 12.

The shell 1 is then closed on back plate 7 and lock means 9 en- 1 gaged,the sidewalls 3,4 of shell 1 precluding the outward movement of thepaper roll supports and thus impeding theft of the rolls from thedispenser of the invention. Door 21 is then manually raised into itsposition closing window 13.

As door 21 is manually raised the conical abutment 23 engages thevertically slanted curved surface of finger latch abutment portion 36and cams it out of the way, or upwardly as the parts are shown and asindicated in dotted lines at the upper part of FIG. 4. Thus the latchabutment 36 is aligned with recess or opening 22c in the flange 22a anda positive passage of the door 21 past latch finger 35 is insured. Aslatch portion 36 falls through recess 220 it falls into the positionshown in full line in FIG. 4, the paper roll R holding the arm portion32b of member 32 in the inclined position shown against the action ofspring 33, When finger 3S fell to the full line position shown, theabutment 37 limited the excursion of finger 35. With the finger 35 inthe full line position shown, the flange segment 22d rests on latchportion 36, insuring retention of the door 21 in its uppermost positionclosing compartment 1 l masking paper roll P and exposing paper roll Rfor use. Since the abutment 2 insures alignment of latch portion 36 witha recess 22c and the latch-engaging surface 22d is centrally positionedon door 21, it will be realized that slight canting or tilting of door21 will be overcome and both the raising of door 21 to its upperposition and latching thereof in said position is assured without skillor concern on the part of. the maintenance or janitorial personnelcharged with the function of filling the dispensers.

With a roll of paper on brackets b,l6, the spring nature of bracket 15burges the roll toward bracket 16 and the paper on said roll urges thefinger portion 34 of member 32 outwardly to hold member 32 in theposition shown, for example in FIGS. 4 and '5. With member 32 in saidposition, the latch finger portion 36 is centered beneath the centralflange portion 22d of door 21 and the door will thus remain in its upperposition closing the window 13 of compartment 11 and exposingcompartment 12 for ready removal by the user of the paper from the paperroll R in compartment 12.

As the paper is removed from the roll in compartment 12 to apredetermined minimum thickness, the finger portion 34 and member 32 arefreed to move, under the urging of spring 33, toward bracket 15b to movelatch finger portion 36 into alignment with slot or recess 22b in doorflange portion 22a, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, at which pointthe door panel 21 under the influence of gravity, falls through trackinto its second position, closing compartment 12 and exposingcompartment 11 with the reserve or fresh roll of paper P therein readyfor use by the user.

It will be observed that the arm portion 32b of member 32 is inclinedupwardly toward abutment 23 in its normal position as held by the rollof paper in compartment 12. When the paper therein has beensubstantially exhausted, spring 33 in moving member 32, produces acombined downward and leftward movement, as the parts are shown, in thelatch finger abutment portion 36. Thus a positive escape of the latch 36from the latch surface 22d of the door 21 is assured and alignment oflatch 36 with opening or'recess 22b assures downward movement of door21. In this regard also it will be noted that the upper or latch contactsurface of member 36 is downwardly inclined toward the body of member 32in normal latching position, as may be clearly seen in FIG. 4. Thus,while latch-contacting surfaces of substantial extension are providedfor permission of manufacturing tolerance and installation variances, apositive disengagement of the latching relationship is facilitated.

wastage is controlled by positioning the inner edge of arm portion 34immediately adjacent the outer circumference of the thickest expectedcore segment whereby the barest minimum amount of paper, if any, mayremain on the core after member 32 has pivoted in response to spring 33and door 2l has closed compartment l2.

While gravity is thus fully effective to insure positioning of finger 35and movement of door 21, it will be realized that appropriate springsmay be employed in substitution for the effect of gravity when shell 1is positioned, for example, in a horizontal arrangement,

Brackets 15,15b are economically provided in the form of two strips ofspring steel or similar metal. Slot 7b insures against contact of theshell 1 with the structure supporting back plate 7 and ear 32c insuresagainst overstressing of spring 33. The bent distal'ends of strips15,15b insure ease of separation and impede theft.

The invention is usable with varying roll paper designs havingcontinuous or separable cores and having cores formed of material ofvarying thicknesses within those commonly and economically provided. Solong as there is a reasonably usable quantity of paper remaining on thecore in compartment 12, the door 21 will remain in its upper position,closing compartment 11. When, however, the paper has been substantiallyentirely depleted from the roll in compartment 12, the door 21automatically moves to its second position, closing compartment 12 andexposing a fresh roll in compartment 11 for use.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A dispenser for at least two rolls of paper including a shell, acompartment for each of said rolls in said shell, a first windowexposing one of said compartments, a second window exposing another ofsaid compartments, a control member pivotally mounted on said shell,means yieldingly urging a control finger portion of said control memberagainst the paper on a roll in one of said compartments said memberincluding a latch finger extending into a central area between saidwindows, a door slidable between a first position closing the window ofsaid other compartment and exposing the window of said one compartment,and a second position closing said window of said one compartment andexposing the window of said other compartment, said latch finger beingpositionable in engagement with said door to hold the same in said firstposition,

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said one compartment is beneath saidother compartment and said latch finger engages a central underside ofsaid door whereby said door moves by gravity to said second position inresponse to depletion of paper from said roll below said level.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said latch finger is pivotallymounted on said member and said latch finger and said door includecamming surfaces whereby movement of said door from said second to saidfirst position moves said latch finger portion in one direction out ofits door-retaining position upon passage therebeyond of said door andmovement of said door in response to said depletion of said paper movessaid latch finger portion in the opposite direction out of itsdoor-retaining position.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said latch finger is pivotedadjacent its rearmost end to said member, said latch finger returning tosaid retaining position in response to gravity.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said control member includes an armportion disposed in substantially parallel relationship to a roll ofpaper in said one compartment, said latch finger portion being pivotedon and extending beyond said arm portion in parallel therewith.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said control member is pivoted aboutan axis normal to the axis of a roll of paper in said one compartment.

7. In a dispenser for rolls of paper, a shell, a compartment for eachroll of paper in said shell, a door movable in said shell to cover onecompartment and expose another compartment, a control member for saiddoor, said control member having a portion engaging the paper on a rollin said one of said compartments to hold said member in a first positionand means yieldingly urging said member into a second position inresponse to depletion of paper from said last-named roll below apredetermined level, and camming portions on said member and doorwhereby said door may be moved past said arm in one direction withoutdisplacing said member.

8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said member includes an arm portionextending in parallel with said last-named roll and a latch fingerpivoted adjacent the distal end of said arm portion.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said member is pivoted about an axisnormal to the axis of said last-named roll and said latch finger ispivoted about an axis normal to the axis of said last-named roll.

10. The structure of claim 8 wherein said arm portion and latch fingerare held in a plane inclined with respect to the axis of said last-namedroll and inclined upwardly toward said door in door-latching position,whereby said arm portion and latch finger move laterally and downwardlywith respect to said door in response to said depletion of paper fromsaid lastnamed roll.

11. The structure of claim 8 characterized by and including inclined,curved camming surfaces on said latch finger and said door, a first setof said camming surfaces being engageaan abutment ear carried by saidcontrol member and positioned for contact with a portion of said shellwhen said control member is moved against the action of said yieldingmeans.

13. The structure of claim 7 wherein said door includes a horizontallypositioned bottom flange, a pair of recesses positioned on oppositesides of the center of said flange and said control member includes alatch finger pivoted thereto and engaging said flange between saidrecesses when said door is in one position, said camming portionsincluding a camming abutment carried by said door between said recessesand camming surfaces on said abutment and said latch finger wherebymovement of said door toward said position cams said latch finger intoalignment with one of said recesses and movement of said control membertoward its second position moves said latch finger into alignment withthe other of said recesses.

14. The structure of claim 13 wherein the portion of said latch fingerengaging said central flange portion when said door is in said oneposition is downwardly inclined from said central flange portion.

15. The structure of claim 14 wherein said control member and latchfinger are held in a position inclined with respect to said flange whensaid control member is held in its first position, whereby movement ofsaid control member toward its second position moves said inclined latchfinger surface in a downwardly inclined path toward alignment with saidsecond recess.

1. A dispenser for at least two rolls of paper including a shell, acompartment for each of said rolls in said shell, a first windowexposing one of said compartments, a second window exposing another ofsaid compartments, a control member pivotally mounted on said shell,means yieldingly urging a control finger portion of said control memberagainst the paper on a roll in one of said compartments said memberincluding a latch finger extending into a central area between saidwindows, a door slidable between a first position closing the window ofsaid other compartment and exposing the window of said one compartment,and a second position closing said window of said one compartment andexposing the window of said other compartment, said latch finger beingpositionable in engagement with said door to hold the same in said firstposition, said yielding means urging said member and latch finger into aposition disengaging said latch finger from said door to permit saiddoor to move to said second position in response to depletion of paperfrom said roll in said one compartment below a predetermined level. 2.The structure of claim 1 wherein said one compartment is beneath saidother compartment and said latch finger engages a central underside ofsaid door whereby said door moves by gravity to said second position inresponse to depletion of paper from said roll below said level.
 3. Thestructure of claim 1 wherein said latch finger is pivotally mounted onsaid member and said latch finger and said door include camming surfaceswhereby movement of said door from said second to said first positionmoves said latch finger portion in one direction out of itsdoor-retaining position upon passage therebeyond of said door andmovement of said door in response to said depletion of said paper movessaid latch finger portion in the opposite direction out of itsdoor-retaining position.
 4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said latchfinger is pivoted adjacent its rearmost end to said member, said latchfinger returning to said retaining position in response to gravity. 5.The structure of claim 1 wherein said control member includes an armportion disposed in substantially parallel relationship to a roll ofpaper in said one compartment, said latch finger portion being pivotedon and extending beyond said arm portion in parallel therewith.
 6. Thestructure of claim 1 wherein said control member is pivoted about anaxis normal to the axis of a roll of paper in said one compartment. 7.In a dispenser for rolls of paper, a shell, a compartment for each rollof paper in said shell, a door movable in said shell to cover onecompartment and expose another compartment, a control member for saiddoor, said control member having a portion engaging the paper on a rollin said one of said compartments to hold said member in a first positionand means yieldingly urging said member into a second position inresponse to depletion of paper from said last-named roll below apredetermined level, and camming portions on said member and doorwhereby said door may be moved past said arm in one direction withoutdisplacing said member.
 8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said memberincludes an arm portion extending in parallel with said last-named rolland a latch finger pivoted adjacent the distal end of said arm portion.9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said member is pivoted about an axisnormal to the axis of said last-named roll and said latch finger ispivoted about an axis normal to the axis of said last-named roll. 10.The structure of claim 8 wherein said arm portion and latch finger areheld in a plane inclined with respect to the axis of said last-namedroll and inclined upwardly toward said door in door-latching position,whereby said arm portion and latch finger move laterally and downwardlywith respect to said door in response to said depletion of paper fromsaid last-named roll.
 11. The structure of claim 8 characterized by andincluding inclined, curved camming surfaces on said latch finger andsaid door, a first set of said camming surfaces being engageable inresponse to movement of said door in one direction past said latch, asecond set of said camming surfaces being engageable to hold said doorin one of said positions and relatively slidable during movement of saidmember toward said second position.
 12. The structure of claim 7characterized by and including an abutment ear carried by said controlmember and positioned for contact with a portion of said shell when saidcontrol member is moved against the action of said yielding means. 13.The structure of claim 7 wherein said door includes a horizontallypositioned bottom flange, a pair of recesses positioned on oppositesides of the center of said flange and said control member includes alatch finger pivoted thereto and engaging said flange between saidrecesses when said door is in one position, said camming portionsincluding a camming abutment carried by said door between said recessesand camming surfaces on said abutment and said latch finger wherebymovement of said door toward said position cams said latch finger intoalignment with one of said recesses and movement of said control membertoward its second position moves said latch finger into alignment withthe other of said recesses.
 14. The structure of claim 13 wherein theportion of said latch finger engaging said central flange portion whensaid door is in said one position is downwardly inclined from saidcentral flange portion.
 15. The structure of claim 14 wherein saidcontrol member and latch finger are held in a position inclined withrespect to said flange when said control member is held in its firstposition, whereby movement of said control member toward its secondposition moves said inclined latch finger surface in a downwardlyinclined path toward alignment with said second recess.